Well it is importantto wait six weeks because you will more likely be able to correctly sex the rabbit. We have done this so often that we successfully sex them at 4 weeks (100% correct). But yes, many pet shops prefer to take them in at 6 weeks.

Ours are 6 weeks old. We actually are the best at this and we can deliver stress free dwarfies before six weeks. The time period also has to do with accurate sexing.

When a baby can eat (19 days) and drink (27 days) by itself then it becomes stable. 2-3 days to destress it and at 28-31 days we can move them from their mom. Other breeders do not always do all the things that we do so some do take longer. We tell people not to overhandle it on day one and if they are taking it to a completely different climate, to take with some of the pellets it is familiar with which we provide lets say a 3-5 days supply of if they are 'stranded'. At 8 weeks they are stable and by 12 weeks (3 months) too big for a cat's mouth. Politely put, it is not true.

Well, not very long, but not short either. Let's say, from our records, a normal female lives about 4-6 years and a male can live up to 8 years. Our oldest female is 4 years but we did have one that lived 5. Our oldest male is 7 years...will be 8 in November 2010.

Look after all your rabbits, the busy ones and the not so busy ones. Rabbits tend to slow down on breeding at 4 years. Males are completely 'spent' at 5 years and no longer breed, thought they may try and on occassion get it right. If you have bought the rabbit for breeding, let it live its life out in peace and quiet.

Whatever you do, do not do what some supposed breeders have done and sell it as "part of a breeding pair". That's just not right.

Yes rabbits do grow up to eventually poo as far from their sleep area. We also find small rabbits sit in their bowl to eat and then also poo in the bowl. Is it a big bowl? At some point they grow out of it, but that said, we still have 2 or so adults that poo in their bowl...STILL. Sadly or Gladly not all observations apply to ALL rabbits. Rabbits eat until they are full and then stop. They're not likely to overeat.

Yes rabbits love cold weather. They will sit outside in a drizzle of rain and cool down and it helps them to groom. The trick is to not let the skin get wet and the hair is woven so densely near the skin water struggles to penetrate to the skin. So drizzle will see many rabbits sitting outside enjoying the coolness and the gentle wash.

There are a few types of combinations of rabbits that will lead to fighting.

1. You have an existing rabbit living with you and sometime later you add a new rabbit which is smaller. The larger rabbit then tries to get after the smaller one.

2. You have two males who are now both in season...and there's a scent of a girl out there somewhere.

3. You have two females, and for a long time they were living in quiet harmony then things suddenly changed.

In Situation 1 we suggest that you socialise the rabbits removing threat issues (the 3 threat siutations are fights around food; females and territory). Call us if you need more advice.

With Situation 2 you need to wait for the smaller one to grow larger. You can also consider neutering (4 of 5 people eventually went this route but don't be shocked at a price tag of R700-1500 per neutering)

In Situation 3 we found that one or both of the females was carrying a litter. The fightng typically starts within 3 days of them being mated and can last the rest of the month. We have found a case where 2 females share a cage and nest within 50cm of each other. Not our style but the interesting thing was that these females did not interfere with each other or each others litter. if anyone has done this pleasel et us know. We'd like to study the set-up.

The best time would be before they reach mating maturity, so let's say that is about 6 months. Call around for a good vet who has done it before as vets tend to know cats and dogs best. Rabbits shouldn't be too difficult but you want someone who has been through this before. Also check for price.

Neutered males tend to get broader. We don't know why. Someone can tell us the reason but we see it with all males we have baby sat that were neutered.

No. That is the quick answer. But they do nip you and I think that is what you are referring to. They do not bite like a dog would bite, and give you puncture wounds. This nipping at you is usually your hands.

The reasons why they nip are different. We have had rabbits that nip because they are not handled enough, we have had those that nip because they were pinched our squeezed during handling.

There was one rabbit that was nervous at birth, was bullied by its owners and nipped every so often. This type of rabbits would usually grunt first until you corner it and it nips as a last resort.

Then there are rabbits that will nip because they're hungry and you got between them and their food. The last type of niping behaviour we saw was with a male that would nip when he was alone in a cage but would mellow out as soon as we put him in a cage with another female.

Now is a good time to mention New Zealnd Reds which are probably those most likely to take a nip at you. We have tried breeding this line in from a 'Pepper' and 'Blue Eye White'. After 4 years we managed to get 'nip-free' New Zealand males, but the females are still prone to do it when they are breeding.

Unfortunately you cannot. Dwarf rabbit breeds are not like the dog standards (eg. German Shepherd Dog Club of SA or KUSA). There is a Natal Breeders Club and the one in Gauteng is just struggling to take off. The point is that no one offers "Registration Papers" and if they do, I would be suspicious.

To offset this problem we encourage buyers to come and see the parents. This helps with the general idea that this is actually a dwarf not a mixed rabbit being sold off as a dwarf rabbit.

What you are looking for is a vet that has done this before. So when you call around you want to say something like "Have you neutered a rabbit before?". Then if the answer is "Yes" then you say "How much kind Vet person?" and you should get an answer like "R400-500 per rabbit". Anything more and definitely call around. We've heard of R1500 per rabbit before.

Vets are usually focussed on dogs and cats (small mammals) and rabbits are fortunately also just small mammals...but the difference is big. If a vet thinks the rabbit is problematic, they could charge more.

I do not know in which part of Jhb you are located but in the Northcliff area where we stay many vets do this. There is one out Muldersdrift way (if you stay that way), I am sure a quick call to 2 or 3 vets where you live will give a positive result at least somewhere.

Lastly, please ensure your male is not a juvenile (i.e. so let him be older than lets say 6 months or so).

The first litter is the surprise litter as we call it. You are not expecting it and the mother is not expecting it. There are a few signs leading up to a litter which you may have missed but you will get better as will the mom.

The first litter in 30-40% of the cases tend to all die. The reason is the mom does not know what to do and stays away from the kits. They starve and die, usually in about 12-18 hours. No syringe feeding these guys unfortunately. A second thing that ahppens is she does try to feed them, but sits above them incorrectly. She can smother some or all of them. A third reason for the first litter dying is because the buck (the daddy) is still in the cage. He can either directly kill the litter (does not happen as much as we want to believe that it is a "thing they would do in the wild". People, these are rabbits not lions. How most males kill babbies is trying to mate with mom while she is feeding. In the process they step on, or even smother the kits (the babbies). So three ways for babies to die at the first attempt.

But then in 60-70% of the cases they do survive. Enjoy your first litter!

Not too much of a problem. I would suggest one of two cages. You can get a hard shell, plastic, travel cage. This is the one typically used for cats etc. These go for about R160-R180, perhaps a bit more if you go bigger. Checkers sells them. Also, you can try a collapsable travel cage. Our Checkers also sells these. They are few rands cheaper if I recall but they are great because when the travelling is done you collapse it.

The point is, for your time away from your permanent cage, in what does your rabbit stay?...both these types of travel cages needs cleaning every second day or so. The hard shell cages can be partly taken apart and washed/hosed. The collapsable travel cage is nylon so needs more washing and takes longer to dry.

For permanent cages at home we would suggest wood cages or cages that have part wood shelters. These remain cooler for longer. Steer clear of metal and plastic cages. For travel cages see my answer above.

We welcome you to visit us, by appointment, and come and have a look. You'll see our rabbits, how we keep them and where we keep them. You'll see who the parents are. Then you decide. We even have an electronic scale for those that want to weight the rabbits.

Not too much. We are breeders remember. We do get to rabbit sit some, and on occassion we get in offspring (sons) of bucks we have. Those offspring sons are neutered and they tend to be wider at the rump (bum) than their parents. They are very timid and gentle and do not fight which is another reason why people tend to neuter them.

Many people believe that they must buy a "Netherland Dwarf Rabbit"...as in it must come from the Netherlands. This is a bit of a misnomer. Sometimes these "Netherland Dwarf Rabbits" are also called "Dutch Dwarf Rabbits".

Dutch is a colour. It is black body with white ears, collar and feet. See a picture here on our website. New Zealand is "red" (and you do get a New Zealand "white" but not in dwarfies) and Polish (as in after the country Poland) is white (with blue eyes). Brittania is white with red eyes and Himalaya is white with black ears etc. So Dutch is just an indication of the colouration. The colour chosen is the owners preference.

Our website has a link to the American site (www.arba.com) where you can see more colours.

We went to a flea market, found a good nail clipper and used that for the rabbit. We cut 1mm off per time but only cut once a quarter. Our rabbits wear down their own nails as they scratch the ground etc. A rabbit in a cage that is off the ground does get some nail problems. Baby nail clippers are too soft. Also, watch for the nerve when you cut the nail. Don't cut it. Rather cut just short of it.

Pellets that are wet can be removed. Dry pellets can stay in a few hours longer our thrown away. Both is safe to do. Soggy vegetables should be removed. If it is still edible, like carrots then leave it. The rabbits will get through it. When we give corn on the cob we leave it for about a week or so for them to eat it end to end...and just leave the cob for you to remove.

Grass is ok. In an experiment we noticed that grass is actually not a favourite food and lawn grass seems to not have enough fibre. Your rabbit will eat the grass, move on and eat again. Grass is ok but remember your rabbit will dig and try to get the roots as well. Roots are yummier than just plain grass it seems.

What to do? Trust your instinct. We got into the once a week veg thing when we could get fresh vegs. The pellets does have enough fibre, the big requirement in a rabbit diet. One of the people we know feeds one leaf of lettuce per day (and remember that lettuce we discourage) and for her rabbit the lettuce works great. Ultimately the style of feeding will be as you 'read' your rabbit.

Try cabbage instead. The problem with lettuce is that years ago we had pretty normal lettuce in South Africa. Then we discovered "long-life lettuce" and now every shop sells it because every farmer loves it. The problem is this lettuce, also called Iceland lettuce, causes bloating and diarhea in babies, and just bloating in larger (>4months old) rabbits.

Long. Easily 2-3 months. You need to keep it dry and sealed and it will stay fresh. For 1 rabbit you'd probably need 20kg per year. I suggest not buying it at once unless it is in a breathable bag. Our 50kg bags are like that. If you are going to buy food in plastic bags do not store it where it can sweat/perspire. This will encourage mould to form. We buy our food in these mielie type bags, then place the entire bag inside a plastic bin to keep the rain off it.

I think you have this covered. Some would suggest getting two rabbits but if you are giving them stacks of attention then maybe not necessary. A dwarfie needs fresh water and food and it is good to go.

Yes you may. There is something you need to watch for and that is ants. When you place the cut apple in with the rabbit ants also like the taste (perhaps they like the sugar which is called fructose).

What we do is give them small pieces of apple at a time, enough that they could finish in 2-5 minutes. That's probably a bit bigger than a thumb nail. They get apple, and there is not enough time for ants to make it to the cage.

Firstly, isolate your dwarffie from any of your other dwarf rabbits. Then download from our website the newsletter about dwarf rabbits and eczema (mange or dry skin). If you are still at a loss call or write to us. 0847529123

A peanut is a dwarf rabbit that is born at somewhere between 12grams and 18grams. It has no tissue that can grow and will remain small until it dies. They tend to not grow much at all and most die in the first 10 days.

The peanut is a good sign in that it tells you your male and female both have the dwarf gene and when these combine, you get a "double dwarf", or a "dwarf dwarf" or basically , a peanut.

Dwarf rabbits are born about 25-28grams. Within 4 weeks they are at 250 grams (10 times bigger than when they were born). They continue to grow and at about 6 months they are somewhere around 800 grams. Some rabbits stop growing at this stage and others continue to grow but now just slowly. Most rabbits settle dowen at 1.0 kg and some at 1.1kg. And then you get the overfed chappies, and we've had one at 1.6kg that we had to wean off raisins and dried fruit and onto rabbit food.

Yes there are people that claim dwarf rabbits at 500g or 600g or 700g as top ends...I wonder about those rabbits.

If you have a very real reason to then yes. Rabbits groom themselves and so stay clean most of the time. Accidents can happen then you will need to clean the rabbit. An example of an accident is soot, or grease etc getting onto the fur. Poisonous things you should always try and wipe off then be thorough and rigourous.

Do not wash babies though or call us before you do (assuming it is a life or death matter).

Let's assume you have to and in 95% of the cases you do not have to. But if you have to there are two ways:

1. Easy and Safe Way:

Take a synthetic sponge (lufa mitts for the rich ones among you) and get it soapy (mild soap or dettol/savlon water).

Then wipe the area clean. Be sure to get nothing into the rabbits eyes or nose. Death can follow if you get it into the nose.

When this is done you are half-way there.

The next thing you need to do is whatever is now on the rabbits fur it will try and lick off so get your spnge again,

Rinse sponge with clean water and wipe as much of the soapiness away.

2. Difficult and Dangerous Way:

This is usually the case when people buy rabbits at pet shops where animals are shared. Some vets house rabbits in dog kennels and disaster follows. Etc. Eczema is also a problem so follow this carefully.

Make a lukewarm (tepid) bath - shallow is best. Water in a bucket will do well.

Add some soap or bubblebath or whatever can help your cause.

Keep a second bucket of luke warm (tepid) water in a second bath.

Hold rabbit firmly and dunk in the water for about 3-6 seconds. 3 is better than 6 so think of dipping twice for 3 seconds as opposed to once for 6 seconds.

If water gets into the nose the rabbit will die painfully so this dip is only a body dip.

OK, so 6 seconds later it is all done, now towel dry the rabbit.

Good, now dip the rabbit in the clean water alongside. Same routine of twice for 3 seconds.

Towel dry the rabbit for longer, like 10 mins.

Yes we have heard of peopel that blow dry their rabbits. It's a crazy world.

Good morning Liz. Dwarf Rabbits are good pets, as close and personal pets as well. They have less allergy issues around them when compared to cats and dogs (and horses) so that works very well for close handling too. The more you handle them the more tame they become. If you are planning on this close bond to exist within your house be sure to potty train them and house train them. You can get a newsletter on our wenbsite about how to potty train a rabbit. As for house training, we still have to write that up. Yes you can love a dwarf rabbit too death. The most common way is feeding it too much and not letting it do rabbit stuff and eat rabbit stuff (like fibre). On occassion we get overweight dwarf rabbits dropped off for a few weeks for a diet switch. Those rabbits were typically fed coconut, dried fruit, cranberries and sadly not given anything with fibre. It takes about 2-4 weeks to 're-train' an overweight rabbit to size and get it onto a new diet. The owners never see the process so don't appreciate the harm they cause.
When travelling with your rabbit be sure to keep it well fed and hydrated. Take along the food it knows, basically the one you give it at home.
If you want to use our service, we also have a rabbit hotel where we keep rabbits for 1-day to 1 month for people going on holiday. If you have a dwarffie recuperating from a session at the vet we also give free advice.
My last comment is that we are for rabbits. So even if you do not buy dwarf rabbits by us you are more than welcome to still contact us for advice and use our services.

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